AES Bloc Accuses Neighbours of Sponsoring Terrorism Amid Sahel Realignment

Mali and Niger's foreign ministers accused neighboring countries of harboring and financing terrorist groups during a Senegal forum on 21 April 2026. The three AES states—Mali, Niger, and another unnamed nation—formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025 and established a 5,000-strong joint force outside the bloc’s structures.